ἄκανθα

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word ἄκανθα. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word ἄκανθα, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say ἄκανθα in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word ἄκανθα you have here. The definition of the word ἄκανθα will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofἄκανθα, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: άκανθα

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Presumably from ἀκή (akḗ, thorn) +‎ ἄνθος (ánthos, flower). Probably not related to Sanskrit कण्टक (káṇṭaka, thorn, thornbush; prick, needle).

Pronunciation

 

Noun

ᾰ̓́κᾰνθᾰ (ákanthaf (genitive ᾰ̓κᾰ́νθης); first declension

  1. thorny plant
    1. (Egypt) specifically Vachellia nilotica (phono-semantic matching of Coptic ϣⲟⲛϯ (šonti))
  2. thorn, spine, prickle
  3. (figuratively) thorny issue; something difficult or painful.

Inflection

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Greek: άκανθα (ákantha)
  • Arabic: أَقَنْثَا (ʔaqanṯā)
  • New Latin: acantha

Further reading